Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen
Looking forward to the next 50 years of districts
As his council, Breckland, celebrates it's 50th anniversary, Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen looks to what the future may bring for district councils.
The threat from bank and building society closures
More than half of all bank and building society branches have closed since 2015 – nearly 6,000 in total. This has significant implications both for financial inclusion and our high streets.
We need to devise a plan to solve our communities’ housing crisis
District councils need the Government to increase the housing benefit subsidy. Without this, local authorities increasingly cannot afford appropriate housing, says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen.
Getting Britain building homes
We need to devise a system which ensures housing is built and we can provide the right mix of homes to meet the unique needs of local communities, says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen.
Party conferences are a golden opportunity for districts
In party conference season the hope is that collectively councillors can influence their party’s leadership, relevant think-tanks, MPs and prospective MPs, says chairman of the District Councils' Network Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen.
Collaboration is key to harnessing growth
The very function of local government is to be close to the people and communities it serves, says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen. 'Now is the time for Government to be building upon this instead of building new silos and rekindling the damaging tier debate.'
Eco rules are stifling development
Nutrient neutrality rules are stifling, and in many parts of the country the risk is that developers will be deterred by the cost of offsetting measures, considering housebuilding schemes unviable, writes Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen.
Trust us to deliver on waste
Sam Chapman-Allen urges central Government to respect local government and trust local leaders to build a waste system that works for their residents.
Local elections should be about local issues
This year’s polls are of unprecedented importance for the district sector, says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen. His strong hope is that 4 May will be about local issues rather than Prime Ministerial fortunes.
Giant county unitaries run counter to people power
The challenge to the new unitaries is to prove that, far from being a distant monolith, they can indeed be a force for localism, says Sam Chapman-Allen.
Our communities know district councils are delivering
Independent analysis commissioned ahead of the District Councils’ Network conference is a vindication of the scale and performance of districts, says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen.
The planning system needs more resources to thrive
It isn’t so much the planning system that is broken – more the housing delivery system, says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen. ‘And the Government appears to be coming round to our way of thinking.’
Government priorities will not be achieved without strong local government
Rishi Sunak will be aware there is a hugely powerful case for councils' funding to be protected, 'not least because their expertise can make a huge positive difference in two key areas of his economic challenge', says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen.
Trust should underpin all our relationships
The arrival of Prime Minister Liz Truss and the new Cabinet offers us an opportunity to keep on pressing home the importance of local government, says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen.
Inflation's impact is far-reaching
Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen says that for district councils 'to remain prudent, painful decisions will have to be made, and it is discretionary services which are likely to be hit hardest'.
Districts must be enabled to bring their strengths to the devolution table
As it stands the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill relegates districts to be non-constituent members of combined authorities, contradicting the White Paper’s recognition of the need to build institutional capital, says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen
New Natural England advice is a big deal
A letter informing councils of advice from Natural England on requirements to mitigate nutrient pollution in protected sites is a big deal, says chairman of the District Councils’ Network, Sam Chapman-Allen.
Supporting residents through the cost of living crisis
In the face of a looming cost of living crisis, 'district councils in particular are putting all hands on deck to steer our communities through the storm we’re confronted with', says chairman of the District Councils' Network Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen.
County Deals approach falls far short of treating districts as equal partners
We need much stronger mechanisms to promote the active involvement of district councils in the County Deals approach, says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen.
We will spell out the benefits delivered by districts' wellbeing services
We need a long term strategy that revitalises leisure and wellbeing services to level up the health of the nation and place them firmly within Integrated Care Systems, says Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen.